Garden time

I think it is the height of the garden season here. I just love it when the flowers are all in bloom and the colors are so intense and the foliage so wild and lush. This is the front garden where there was only dry, parched grass a couple of years ago. Ray has worked his magic.

I can't resist taking photos when the garden is in bloom. I have finally figured out pretty well how to get the kind of flower photos I like—where the flower is in focus and the background is out of focus.

I love the energetic, wildness of Shasta daisies. The thing is they don't smell very good, so aren't great as cut flowers, even though I sometimes cut a bouquet just because they are so pretty. But the smell is—well, disgusting.

The crocosmia are all over the city and the red color and tall, graceful stems are spectacular. They are natives of South Aftrica and I only became aware of them about eight or so years ago. Have they always been around and I never noticed, or are they kind of new to this country? Well, whatever, I think they are incredibly beautiful. The hummingbirds adore them, too.

The lilies are always wondrous. These are one of the shorter variety with the beautiful, long graceful foliage. The taller varieties, bigger, more fragrant, with the smaller leaves will be blooming soon.

Last summer we hung this hay rack on the front of the house and I planted it with geraniums and some lobelia. It was a little sad. This year I planted impatiens and creeping jenny and it is beautiful.

We have finally gotten all the permits for the studio construction and are making plans with a builder. I am not believing this will finally happen.